WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- A driver for the White House press pool was briefly detained Monday after a firearm was found in his personal baggage as he tried to enter a secured area, the U.S. Secret Service said in a statement.

"The Secret Service can confirm that an individual serving as a staff contracted driver was briefly detained by U.S. Secret Service personnel and other law enforcement officials today. The individual was found to be in lawful possession of a prohibited item (firearm) outside the secure area at a Secret Service security screening checkpoint," the statement said.

The driver, who claimed that he had forgotten to leave the firearm in his personal car, was set to drive one of the press pool vans, which will later join the Trump motorcade as it leaves Mar-a-Lago.

The Secret Service said all drivers were reportedly replaced after the incident.